In a rollercoaster showdown at the College Park Center, the Dallas Wings secured a, 80-78 victory over the Las Vegas Aces, in what can only be described as an edge-of-the-seat battle.

“The players said, “You go in there and hold [those tears] in,” Head Coach Latricia Trammell said following the victory. “I told the team afterwards, I’m just so proud of them because someone did something special when we needed it, whether it would be the offensive board or the steal or Crystal [Dangerfield] in the passing. We held them to 12 points in the fourth, everyone contributed but they just deserve it. I mean, every team says that, but man, sometimes the adversity that sometimes these players go through that people don’t even know about and to have them still fight and come together. I mean, I’m just so happy for them. These are tears for them. These players are special.”

The game started off with Crystal Dangerfield setting the pace for the Wings, scoring six points and sparking an early 6-0 run, complemented by Satou Sabally who also added six points. The Aces proved a resilient as Jackie Young and A’ja Wilson each netted eight points, allowing Las Vegas to snatch a narrow 25-23 lead at the end of the first quarter.

The Wings came back fighting in the second quarter. Arike Ogunbowale set the tone with a stunning 26-foot three-pointer, igniting the Wings’ offense. This, coupled with an early 5-0 run, allowed Dallas to double the Aces’ points in the paint 24-12. However, a last-second floater from Dangerfield brought the score to a nail-biting 40-39 in favor of the Aces at halftime.

Both teams proved their defensive prowess in the third quarter, with the Wings fighting back from a 7-0 Aces’ run that caused a full timeout from Dallas. Ogunbowale again came to the rescue with a jump shot to break the Aces’ run and the Wings ended the quarter trailing only by six, 66-60.

The final quarter saw an aggressive opening with Ogunbowale draining a three-pointer, bringing the Wings within three points. The team’s relentless effort in transition led to a tie at 71-71 with 6:26 left in the game. Changing tactics, the Wings shifted to a zone defense, managing to edge ahead 73-71 for the first time in the game. The Aces responded with a timeout, yet failed to break the Wings’ defense. With 14 seconds left and the score tied at 78-78, Dallas seized their final possession.

In a nail-biting finale, the Wings secured three offensive rebounds after a missed jumper by Sabally. This relentless effort led to a shooting foul on Natasha Howard. Cool under pressure, Howard sunk both free throws to secure a hard-earned 80-78 victory for the Wings with just 0.4 seconds remaining.

In the final frame, the Wings limited the potent Las Vegas offense to just 12 points, which was also aided by a raucous sold out crowd at College Park Center.

“I said this on the first day that I was hired that this fan base is just electrifying,” Trammell said. “We said it at the very beginning we wanted CPC [College Park Center] to be the hardest place to play in and these fans are coming out. I wanted so badly to grab the mic out there and thank them, so this is my time to grab the mic and say thank You. Yeah, our fans, to drive all over to come here even from different states and surrounding states to support our team, all I can say is thank you. If I could give each one a hug, I would. Please keep coming out, you all bring that extra energy that we need.”

Arike Ogunbowale was the leading scorer for the Wings with a total of 21 points. Teaira McCowan recorded a double-double with 14 points and 12 rebounds. Howard finished with a double-double, scoring 16 points and securing 11 rebounds. Sabally stood out defensively with a career-high of 5 steals, while adding 10 points and five rebounds. Rounding out the starting lineup for the Wings, Dangerfield stuffed the stat sheet with 14 points, five rebounds and six assists.

For the Aces, Kelsey Plum and A’ja Wilson led their scoring efforts with 21 points each.

This thrilling win adds a significant boost to the Wings’ momentum as they now hit the road to face the Indiana Fever. The match will take place this Sunday afternoon at 3:00 pm CT with coverage on Bally Sports Southwest and also streamed on ESPN.